'Actions will decide outcomes' in new EU Vision for Agriculture

An Irish farm organisation has welcomed that European Commission's new Vision for Agriculture and Food, but said that "actions will decide" its outcomes.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) said the new strategy appeared to signal a "step change" in EU farm policy.

However, the ICMSA president Denis Drennan said that the success or otherwise of the vision would depend on the policy actions that follow. 

"The positive sentiments must be turned into real actions at farm level," he said.

"There’s an acknowledgment of what has been obvious to farmers for years; that the agriculture sector is suffering, and that the sector is of huge strategic significance for the EU.

"We also detect encouraging signals on the failure of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy; the realisation that imports will have to meet EU standards; that below-cost selling is a problem; and that generational renewal is critical, with positive comments on a farm retirement scheme," Drennan added.

According to the ICMSA, the Vision for Agriculture and Food released today sees the commission "conceding" that those issues need to be addressed. The organisation called for "real actions that build on the positive sentiments".

One of the main intentions of the new vision, according to the commission, is to simplify regulations. However, Drennan suggested that, so far in 2025, regulations have only become more complex.

"Just barely eight weeks into 2025, farmers in Ireland have already seen new rules in relation to veterinary medicines, new rules on nitrates, and new rules on peatlands, to name but three.

"There is no sign of a simplification of farm related rules. The EU needs to specify exactly what rules it intends to change and how the change will positively impact on farmers," the ICMSA president said.

He added: "It also needs to identify issues that can be dealt with in a collaborative manner as opposed to the 'top down' rules approach adopted up to now, and the cause of much frustration and confusion."

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Drennan said that the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would signal the "sincerity" of the vision. He called for a "significantly expanded CAP budget".

On below-cost selling and food imports, Drennan said that the proposals to date from the European Commission will not address below-cost selling, which he said is a particular problem for vulnerable sectors.

"While the commitments on trade are a step in the right direction, the idea that the EU can apply its rules on environmental issues to third countries is simply not realistic and farmers will not be fooled by any suggestion that they could," he said.

Drennan added: "The sentiments of today's announcement are certainly positive, but as always, actions speak louder than words and farmers remain to be convinced that the prospect of speedy actions would roll-back the ongoing legislative burden being imposed on farmers by the European Commission."

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